06/26/2025
Hi everyone! I know a lot of folks have been wondering... what the heck is going on since Ole Hickory Pit closed.
The idea was to lease out the restaurant and transition from restaurant owner to land lord (due to many complications of keeping Ole Hickory Pit open). I was hoping to lease it to another BBQ restaurateur.
Attempt #1:
It was 2020 during Covid and it was nearly impossible to find what I was looking for so I accepted a lease agreement with Vons Subs. Von leased the restaurant on a 3-year agreement, however after only 1 year he left, abandoned the restaurant leaving behind tons of internal damage and missing equipment. He never paid remaining rent, taxes, permits nor paid for any damages.
Attempt #2:
April of 2024 (last year) I accepted a lease agreement with someone that I thought was going to be perfect, Deron which had the restaurant name of Wolf & Stagg BBQ. He signed the lease on April 1, 2024. The lease states that he agreed to pay a Security Deposit, First Month Rent, Taxes and all utilitiy services. The lease also stated that prior to any rennovations, repairs, etc. to the restaurant that he needs to get approval from the land lord.
To this day, June 2025, he has not paid a single penny, nothing, not a single one dollar bill, not for rent, for security deposit, utilities, repairs, not a thing at all. In fact, he "abandoned" the property and allowed squatters to enter, causing more damage including over $20,000 of broken windows (that still aren't fixed). He also stole property including the large statue in the front lobby that many people would take pics with.
I evicted him twice now. The first time was last year and I lost the court case because I didn't send the eviction notice correctly. When I appealed, I again lost due to not having a lawyer or the knowledge to fight this fight. This is my first time being a land lord. I evicted him a 2nd time. The second time took 10 months later. I won the 2nd eviction case (FINALLY) and now he's gone!
If you know me personally, you know that I am not at all the type of person to belittle another person. I'm very humble and down to earth. In saying that, this experience has changed my life because I have drained my ENTIRE nest egg to support me and mom during this last year of no income. Deron is a fake. He says he's a chef, but he does not have a certificate, nor does he have a Health Department License or any other food service qualifications he claims he has. BEWARE, stay away from this guy! He's a total con.
So from April of last year until yesterday, my hands were tied and I couldn't do much until the courts ruled in my favor, which they did last week.
The restaurant is now available for lease. I am having banners made and will be working on cleaning the place up and putting up ads online. I wanted to post here first so that you can hear straight from me what has been going on.
If you are someone you know is interested, you may call 502.802.8763. Due to SPAM calls, I will likely not answer your call directly. Instead, please leave a voice mail and I will be happy to return your call and answer your questions.
